


The Boy in the Misfits T-Shirt

by ThePragmaticRebel



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, El Will and Dustin did not grow up in Hawkins, Gay Mike Wheeler, Gay Will Byers, M/M, Maxine "Max" Mayfield & Mike Wheeler Friendship, just regular kids, no lab, no upside down, the party au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27627191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePragmaticRebel/pseuds/ThePragmaticRebel
Summary: Mike Wheeler is your average 21 year old college student. He has good friends, an active class load, two jobs and a giant secret that he has shared with no one. A secret he knows he will have to share if he ever meets the right person.Loosely based on the song Misfits T-Shirt by DREAMERS
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 11
Kudos: 25





	1. Planning a Party

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this short story I thought of while listening to a song.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and his friends start to celebrate his 21st birthday, maybe tonight will end with him getting the best present of all.

**Chapter 1- Planning a Party**

**Late March 1992-Chicago, IL**

The couple rounded the corner in the school hallway, walking side by side, both with book bags slung over their shoulders. One was a girl, short with bright red hair and sharp, intelligent eyes, casually dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans with a black and gray flannel tied loose around her waist. When her hair swished to the side you could see several piercings in each ear and one lone diamond stud adorning her nose. As she walked through the crowd several other girls gave her sideways looks of scorn or slight disgust but she either didn’t notice or didn’t care what they thought about her and those looks rolled away like water off a freshly waxed car.

The other was a boy, tall and skinny, his lanky arms and legs making him appear taller than he really was. Standing next to the girl exaggerated his height even more as she was at least a foot shorter than him. His dark hair was long and messy, not messy like he just rolled out of bed and came to school but the kind of messy that was meant to look that way, like he spent a good amount of time to get it just so. His ears also pierced with a simple stud in the right and a dangly cross charm in the other. Any other piercings hidden so as not to bring too much attention from other students and teachers while in class. His dress was roughly like hers, loose jeans with worn out knees and an old black concert t-shirt.

The same girls that gave the redhead looks of hate, eyed him in a much different way. He didn’t have the more typical clean cut, good looks like the common polo shrouded frat boy, but it was his distinctive attractiveness that caught their eye. High cheek bones below wide set eyes and a strong jaw drew their attention. To them he was something new and different but nothing more than a fantasy…something rebellious that was nice to look at but not the boy you brought home to meet your parents. He ignored those glances like he didn’t care about them at all, much the same as his friend. The pair walked through the hallway in their own little world. 

He was talking to her as they walked when suddenly the red headed girl threw her hands up in frustration as she was practically jogging to keep up with his long strides, “What do you mean you might not be able to go? It’s your twenty-first birthday and we have to celebrate!”

“My birthday was over a month ago,” He pointed out with a know it all tone of voice.

She bumped him with her shoulder, “Yeah, and the city was buried in three feet of snow that weekend. You knew we were waiting for better weather and a time we could all go.”

He finally seemed to notice her struggling to keep up and slowed down the pace before looking down at her, “It’s not that I don’t want to go, Max. It’s because I don’t have any money. Ever since Dad left, I can’t afford to do a lot of extra stuff. I’m already working two extra shifts a week just to pay rent.”

She rolled her eyes, “Mike, we’re celebrating your birthday, me and Lucas will pay. You know better than that.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes brightened up.

“Of course. I can even set you up with one of my friends, if you want. It’s been too long since you’ve dated, and I know you hate being the third wheel.” She grinned up at him.

He waved his hand, shaking his head, long wavy hair just barely brushing his shoulders, “No, no…no dates Max, that hasn’t turned out so well in the past.”

She scoffed, “Yeah, for obvious reasons.” She shook her head and gestured vaguely at some of the others near them, “Every other girl in this hallway is undressing you with their eyes, yet you never pay attention to any of them.”

He scoffed in disbelief and shook his head again, “I would just rather not have some awkward blind date at my birthday party. Besides, I don’t care if I’m a third wheel and I know when to give you guys space.”

“Fine, no dates, but you have to at least promise to keep an open mind tonight, you may meet the perfect person. I hate seeing you alone. You’d be a real catch for someone.” Her warm smile betrayed how fond she was of her best friend.

He studied her for a second with a more serious look before letting out a huff, “Yeah, yeah…I promise.” Satisfied he had obliged her concern; he began to pivot toward a hallway on their right while she stayed straight. They both slowed down slightly so they could finish the conversation.

“Be ready by five, we’ll get a cab and pick you up.” She said before he got too far away.

He nodded, “Sounds perfect, see you then.” He bowed her way and blew her an exaggerated kiss, “Love you, Max!”

The gesture earned him another eye roll, “Love you, too…dork.”

* * *

Mike couldn’t help but smile as he walked alone to his Chemistry lab.

Science was still his favorite subject and he could only thank some outstanding middle and high school teachers who influenced him that direction. He grew up in Hawkins, Indiana as a quiet nerd with a few close friends but mainly stuck with his best friend, Lucas, through everything. They added Max to their tight knit friendship when she moved to Hawkins during their eighth-grade year. At first, the boys sparred for her attention, but Mike soon came to realize that Max was becoming more like another best friend, and he lost those romantic feelings for her. Feelings that he may have never had in the first place but liking the new girl just seemed like what he was supposed to do. He also didn’t care for the conflict it caused between him and Lucas who was already more of a brother than a friend at that point.

Inevitably, Lucas and Max got together and hadn’t really looked back since then, save a brief hiccup here and there. With Mike, they became an inseparable trio. It was rare to see anyone of them without the other two, but he quickly learned that they needed time to be a couple and soon developed a balance of when he could or couldn’t be with them. Over the last seven years they formed a family of their own and even all came to college together in Chicago.

Max and Mike had started developing a “punk/grunge” phase near the end of their senior year of high school, a phase that Lucas was into as well though he didn’t go as far with all the clothes and jewelry like the other two. Piercings became a competition between Max and Mike and even Lucas got his ears done, purely due to peer pressure. Mike was the only one who had gone down the road of getting tattoos. So far, he had a Celtic knot on his upper right arm and one of the unfinished Death Star from _Return of the Jedi_ on the back of his left shoulder. He wanted more but the money he got from working two jobs barely allowed him to afford everyday life.

His thoughts rambled while he was walking down the long hallway alone. He was stuck on the words Max had used in their conversation and something was really bugging him about them. In her own casual way, she had used some words that were causing him to worry. `

_You never pay any attention to any of them…_

_You may meet the perfect person…_

_You’d be a real catch for someone._

She didn’t say girl, her, or she…it was person and someone…gender neutral…generic.

It was as if she already knew, or at least suspected that he was only really interested in guys.

His heart sped up, wondering if he had finally gotten careless enough for her to figure it out. He knew that Max and Lucas would be the first people he would eventually tell but he still wasn’t quite ready to do that. He had never had a long relationship with any girl or, for that matter, anyone else at all. Sure, there had been the occasional date to keep his friends’ speculation cooled or bringing someone over to his parent’s house for dinner to keep his nosy mother and judgmental father off his back about dating. He tried to like girls, just as he tried to like Max when she first moved to Hawkins, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that he loved her as a friend only. 

He had gone all through high school and two years of college hiding his secret well, or so he thought. He was almost to the point where he probably needed to tell Max and Lucas because the ache to find someone was getting deeper every day and he knew he needed to find that relationship soon. He wanted a partner, a boy to fall in love with and it was getting harder and harder to hide. The last thing he wanted was for the boy to be a surprise to his best friends, so he needed to tell them, it was just difficult.

He discreetly watched guys around campus and when they went out. Especially looking harder at events like concerts, hoping to find someone interesting enough to go after but he was still afraid, terrified of opening up and revealing the most personal and secret thing about him. He hadn’t acted on his feelings, even when he met or saw someone, he thought might be like him, someone he could see himself with. He just hadn’t found the right one that he could justify revealing his secret for…yet. Being gay in the early nineties was becoming easier and more mainstream than it had been during his grade school years but it was still terrifying to think about coming out to the people he loved and the possibility of rejection.

He veered off into the bathroom across from his next class and splashed some cold water on his face, hoping to clear the muddled thoughts out of his head. He dried off and looked at himself in the mirror, steeling himself to get through his last class of the day.

After a few seconds he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to feel positive, and had one last thought before going to class…

Maybe tonight would be the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a comment if you did. I love hearing from you guys. Kudos are always much appreciated too.
> 
> My tumblr is @thepragmaticrebel if anyone would like to follow or interact there. See you with another chapter very soon.


	2. The Boy

Chapter 2: The Boy in the Misfits T-shirt

After class Mike walked to his small apartment just outside of the ring of buildings that made up the University of Chicago. The tiny one room studio was the most he could afford but was still plenty of space and he didn’t have to worry about the burden of a roommate. He didn’t care that his stove, bed and living room sofa were all in one room just a few feet apart. It was cozy and neat, perfect for him in every way.

He straightened up the small space, washed the dishes left over from breakfast and then took a quick shower. After watching a few minutes of TV, he finished getting ready, taking extra time to pick just the right clothing for the night and adding a set of small heavy gauge silver loop earrings with a matching nose ring. He checked himself over in the mirror, using his hands to ruffle his hair while it dried, then his fingers to get it into place. Satisfied with what he saw, he sprayed on some cologne for the finishing touch at almost the exact time that the buzzer went off letting him know Max and Lucas were there to pick him up. 

After he answered them on the intercom, then hurried down the stairs taking them three at a time. He was starting to feel the excitement of the evening coming on as he had been looking forward to getting out and blowing off some steam for several weeks but hadn’t been able to with work and school.

Max and Lucas were both smiling broadly when he got out to the cab. He greeted them, climbed in and the driver pulled out into traffic, headed for that evening’s destination.

 _The Playhouse_ was a club several blocks away from the part of town where they lived. The old building, originally a theater, then a church, sat empty for a decade until the current owners bought it during a downtown revival in that part of Chicago. They renovated it back to its old theater glory on the outside, complete with is original vertical sign and turned the inside into a bar and club that was geared directly at the huge student population in the area. One Friday night a month was always a showcase for local bands, which was a favorite of theirs.

Max was sitting in the middle spot of the backseat and bumped her knee against Mike’s, “Are you excited?”

Mike grinned at her, “Definitely, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to come to local night.”

“And your birthday, too. It’s going to be epic.” Max used her excited whisper/scream on the last word.

Mike was thinking she seemed a little too excited when Lucas leaned forward in his seat and looked his way, “She has glittery Mardi Gras masks and beads that light up hidden under the s...oof!”

Before he could finish her elbow caught him in the ribs, hard.

Mike looked at her in protest, “You promised Max, no crazy birthday stuff.”

She got defensive, “It’s just for fun and besides your real birthday was during Mardi Gras so I already had all the stuff.”

“No masks, Max.”

“I told you he wouldn’t like it.” Lucas spoke shaking his head and rubbing the spot where Max bludgeoned him.

She flopped back in the seat dejected and started to pout, “You two are no fun. People act crazy in there every Friday night so no one would even notice, and I just wanted it to be special.”

Mike started to feel bad because she had put effort into his birthday, and they were denying her the pleasure of celebrating like she wanted to. He glanced over at Lucas and gave a slight shrug and got a nod from his best friend in response.

“Fine, we can wear the necklaces, but not the masks,” he offered in compromise.

She perked up a little, “Deal, but I’m taking them inside. Once you two get a few drinks in, you’ll be begging for them.” They all laughed though both boys knew she was probably right. Mike grabbed a handful of multicolored plastic beads and threw them over his head.

A few seconds later they rounded the last corner before the cab driver deposited them right next to the line already forming outside the club, which was typical. It was a big and popular place and the live music nights always drew a crowd.

They unloaded from the cab and took a spot in line with only a hundred or so people in front of them. The que behind them grew quickly making them glad they had gotten there so early. Lucas gravitated toward some other friends that he ran into not far behind them, leaving Mike and Max to hold their spot in line. She was leaning back against one of the posts that held the ropes into place, basking in the warm sun. It was a beautiful afternoon, cool but not cold, the sun still high enough to produce heat and he soon found himself doing the same thing, letting the sun wash away the memory of the long Chicago winter, lost in daydreams and other random thoughts about nothing important.

The creak of old theater doors opening woke him out of the daydream. The line started to move toward the ID check table and the front door where everyone would get a hand stamp and pay for entrance.

That was when Mike heard _his_ voice for the first time.

There was a light tap on the back of his shoulder, directly at the center of his Death Star tattoo, “Excuse me.”

Mike turned toward the person who spoke and his eyes were filled with one of the last things he expected at that moment…a boy, and not just any ordinary boy either but an extremely cute one with light brown/green eyes that were close enough to see a dusting of tiny gold flecks in. His floppy mop of hair dyed black to match all the clothes he was wearing, save for the large white “Misfits” logo splayed across the front of his t-shirt. His fair skin stood out in stark contrast to the dark clothes.

To Mike’s eyes he practically _glowed_ with an aura he would only expect from an angel.

He was still coming to terms that this was a real live person standing in front of him when he felt a light touch on his upper arm. He looked down at the boy’s hand laying on his shoulder, taking notice of the black nail polish.

“Are you ok?” The hand squeezed Mike’s shoulder slightly.

He looked back up into those eyes again, only this time they there was a trace of concern there.

_He asked you a question dumbass…you need to SPEAK…NOW!_

“Y..yeah…I’m sorry.” His voice squeaked out the last syllable and he felt the heat in his cheeks instantly bloom.

The boy chuckled lightly, “Are you sure?”, the playful sarcasm eased Mike’s frazzled nerves a bit.

He forced himself to speak again, stronger and clear this time with no pubescent squeak, “Yeah…I was daydreaming…sorry.”

“It’s ok,” The boy smiled as his eyes flicked downward toward Mike’s chest, then panned back up to meet his gaze again. He pointed toward a spot a few feet over to Mike’s left side. “My friends are over there, and I was gonna see if I could cut around you to get to them.”

Mike followed where he was pointing to see a pretty, brown-haired girl and a short stocky boy with long curly hair sticking out from under a Cubs baseball cap. They were both waving and smiling at the boy in front of him.

“Yeah, for sure.” Mike stepped back a little, closing the gap between him and Lucas, who had returned and was talking to some random person behind them in line, oblivious as to what was happening to his best friend at the moment. It left just enough room for the mysterious beautiful boy to move through.

“Thanks.” The boy smiled as he stepped past him and Mike was sorely disappointed, thinking that he may never see or talk to him again, but before he could dive headlong into depression over this stranger, the guy turned around and spoke up again, “Have fun tonight, maybe I’ll see you in there.”

“Yeah, definitely…you too,” Mike was ecstatic that the boy spoke again. It gave him a glimmer of hope that maybe he would see him inside and spend some real time with him.

The boy held his gaze for a moment longer and Mike could have sworn that he saw a slight blush there before he turned around and started to walk away. Mike watched him until he joined his friends, then forced himself to turn before any of them caught him staring.

His heart was beating fast and there was furious fluttering in his gut that made him feel nauseated, warm, and fuzzy all at once. He realized that he was still smiling and forced himself to reign it in. Never had he felt like this after meeting someone before and the first thing he wondered was if he had somehow just completely fallen for a total stranger in a twenty second conversation.

A conversation that felt like a dream.

He glanced back toward the boy in the Misfits t-shirt to make sure he was real and was thrilled to meet those eyes again, from a distance this time as he had already been looking Mike’s way.

The boy smiled, bashful and sweet, before turning away and focusing his attention on his friends, but the look was long enough for Mike to be sure…

_Yes…yes you could fall for someone that fast._

He turned back around to where he had been facing earlier, feeling like he could almost float away in the warm embrace of euphoria. Mike, lost in the moment, couldn’t ever remember feeling this way after meeting someone before. The line moved a few steps and stopped again. He leaned back against a pole, tilting his head back and basked in the warm remnants of the late afternoon sun, his mind replaying the image of the boy over and over.

A few seconds later his subconscious was nagging at him, that sixth sense telling him that someone was too close or staring his way. He opened his eyes and looked around to find out it was Max, head tilted and wearing a sly grin. Her icy blue eyes were studying him.

“Hey,” she drew the word out in a chipper voice, grin not leaving her face.

His face twisted in confusion, wondering why she was acting this way, “Hi?”

“How are you doing?” She sounded like she was about to break into laughter.

“Fine, I guess? Why are you acting weird?” He asked still not understanding what was going on.

She chuckled and tilted her head to the side, eyes focused on something or someone over his shoulder her nose crinkling as she squinted. He followed her gaze to see that she was looking at the trio that included his new…crush? Would it be right to call him a crush yet?

She looked back at Mike and nodded, “He’s really cute.”

The flash freeze of an adrenalin spike ripped through his gut and he felt his jaw unhinge but no words came out.

_She knows!_

He felt the blood drain from his face and his nervousness ticked up a notch. His knee-jerk reaction was to try and play off whatever it was she had caught him doing.

“What are you talking about?” He silently cursed the shakiness in his voice.

She scoffed, “Ha, you know exactly what I’m talking about Wheeler!”

He could feel the heat in his face bloom up again, which she obviously saw.

She chuckled and moved in closer, “Hey, take it easy. I’m not trying to embarrass you. It’s just…,” she waved her hand around him, “…the electricity was really flowing between you and him.”

Mike stared at her for a moment, mouth hanging open for the second time in the last few minutes. He had known the conversation with Max was coming soon, but wasn’t planning on having it while they were out celebrating his twenty-first birthday, especially not in the line waiting to get in. There was no point in hiding it any longer.

He forced himself to relax, nodding his head, “I kind of felt that too…and yes…he really is…cute.” Mike blew out a nervous breath as he glanced the trio's direction again. The boy wasn’t looking his way this time, he was laughing with his other friends and about to walk into the club. 

Her grin turned into a beaming smile and she elbowed him gently in the ribs then leaned in, laying her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her soaking in the silent affirmation.

He wanted to ask her so many questions:

_How long have you known?_

_Why didn’t you say something before now?_

_Does Lucas know?_

_Do you think anyone else knows?_

_Do you hate me?_

_Please, please don't hate me._

He decided that now wasn’t the best time and that there would be plenty of conversation over the next few days.

The line started to move again, and they separated since it would be their turn to go in next. She gave him a serious smile and a knowing nod, easing his nervousness fully. He let go of a held breath and relaxed completely. 

Now all he had to do was focus on finding the boy in the Misfits t-shirt when he got inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and I sincerely hoped you enjoyed this. Please leave a comment, any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Kudos are very welcome too. 
> 
> See you guys soon for the next chapter.


End file.
